LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



®^U&* @Wi# ~$n3SOl> 
Shelf .....cTt 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




NATIVE LIFE IN LIBERIA, ASHANTEE, 

SIERRA LEONE, DAHOMEY, LAGOS, 

BONNY AND BAKUNDU. 




"GIVE A THOUGHT TO AFRICA." 



A CAREFUL 



Study of the Missionary Field 



IN 



AFRICA. 



BY 



REV. THOS. L. JOHNSON, 



A Returned Missionary. 







CHICAGO: 

THE CONSERVATOR PRINT, 162 AND 164 SOUTH CLARK STREET. 



.3-7. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by 

THOMAS L. JOHNSON, 
in the office of the Librarian ot Congress, at Washington. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

Office of Corresponding Secretary of the Wood 1 

River Baptist Association of Illinois, [- 

12 Gano St., Chicago, III. ) 

The interest that is being awakened in Evangeli- 
cal Christian Missions in Africa, is an occasion of 
thanksgiving, and renewed diligence, perseverance 
and faith, on the part of those who have long 
prayed and labored for the spread of the gospel 
in that land of grossest heathenism and spiritual 
darkness. Other uncivilized and heathen coun- 
tries may, perhaps, present fewer and less destruc- 
tive barriers to the introduction and spread of the 
gospel, but none can have any higher claims, or 
present a more importunate plea to Christian peo- 
ple in all lands, and of all races, to furnish them 
with " the bread of life," than 

PERISHING MILLIONS IN AFRICA. 

But to her own children and their descendents, 
her appeals " to come over and help us," should 
awaken a deeper interest, and be the inspiration of 
a more abiding enthusiasm than has as yet been 
manifested. The Christian religion has lifted oth- 
er races and other lands from degradation and 
superstition into the highest civilization and ad- 
vancement. It can and will do the same for 
Africa. And of whom can she ask this boon for 
her sons and daughters at home, with more force, 



iv INTRODUCTORY. 

than of her sons and daughters in other lands, and 
especially in America, so far as they have the means 
and abiliiy to give it to them ? 

THE CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION OF AFRICA 

is the one thing needed to estop the prejudgment 
that hangs over the heads of her descendents in 
every other land, and represses them in every ave- 
nue of endeavor. Its accomplishment will wipe 
out the reproaches wherewith they are now re- 
proached. 

I have known the author of this little pamphlet 
for many years as an earnest worker for the evan- 
gelization of his race, both in America and in Af- 
rica. He has encountered and overcome difficul- 
ties in the way of his advancement and the prose- 
cution of his much-loved work, to which a less 
determined and persevering mind would have suc- 
cumbed. 

THE W T OOD RIVER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, OF ILLINOIS, 

has appointed him to superintend the missionary 
work within her bounds, with the especial view to 
the awakening of interest in African missionary 
work in the churches. I hereby endorse him, and 
commend him to the churches and the benevolence 
of christians everywhere. 

Rev R. DeBaptiste, 

Cor. Sec'y. 



PREFACE. 

The christian world is growing daily more inter- 
ested in the evangelization of heathen lands. This 
may not be apparent to the casual observer, but 
the diligent enquirer after truth will find, to his 
great joy, that spiritual welfare of heathen nations 
is becoming a matter of prayerful anxiety among all 
classes of true christians. 

After being abroad four years, the writer returned 
home in August, 1880. The following September I 
met the Wood River Baptist Association at Jack- 
sonville, 111. After laying before that body the 
claims of Africa, I was appointed superintendent of 
domestic and foreign missionary work. I at once 
commenced to travel from place to place, trying to 
awaken a deeper interest among colored people for 
African mission work, and lecturing to raise means 
to send missionaries to Africa. 

On my journey I met with many who wanted a 
copy of my lecture. Often after the lecture was 
over friends would ask me questions which had not 
been mentioned in my discourse. This suggested 
the idea that a small pamphlet, cheap enough to be 
in the reach of all, giving a few facts of Africa's 
former condition as collected from history, her 
present deplorable condition, the great success 
of missionary work on the west coast and my per- 
sonal experience, would not only meet this demand, 



vi PREFACE. 

but might awaken a deeper interest for African 
mission work. 

I know that Africa has many wise and noble ad- 
vocates. This little pamphlet is only a feeble ef- 
fort to help on the great work. Every nail driven 
into the building makes it that much strouger. In 
sending forth this little work my prayer is, that the 
information given may make many friends for Af- 
rica, and redound to the glory of God. 

My dear friends, please " give a thought to Af- 
rica." God seems now to be saying to the chris- 
tian world, "I have set before thee an open door" 
in Africa, " go, and lo, I am with you," to deliver 
that long oppressed race from darkness, degrada- 
tion and shame. It is our indispensable duty as 
christians, to do all we can to send the gospel to 
these benighted people. 

Yours for the evangelization of Africa, 

THOS. L. JOHNSON, 

Chicago, III. 

April 20th, 1881. 



GIVE A THOUGHT TO AFRICA. 



Give a thought to Africa ! 

'Neath the burning sun 
There are hosts of weary hearts 

Waiting to be won : 
Many idols have they made, 

But, from swamp and sod 
There are voices crying now 

For the living God. 

Chorus — 

Tell the love of Jesus 

By her hills and waters ; 
God bless Africa, 

And her sons and daughters. 

Breathe a prayer for Africa ! 

God the Father's love 
Can reach down and bless the tribes 

From His Heaven above. 
Swarthy lips when moved by grace 

Ever sweetly sing ; 
Pray that Afric hearts be made 

Loyal to our King. 

Tell the love of Jesus, &c. 



8 POETRY. 

Give support to Africa ! 

Has not English gold 
Been the gain of tears and blood 

When the slaves were sold? 
Let us send the gospel back, 

Since, for all their need, 
Those whom Jesus Christ makes free 

Shall be free indeed. 

Tell the love of Jesus, &c. 

Give your love to Africa ! 

They are brothers all, 
Who by sin and slavery 

Long were held in thrall. 
Let the white man love the black, 

And, when time is past, 
In "Our Father's house" above 

May all meet at last. 

Tell the love of Jesus, &c. 

Written by Miss Marianne Farningham, Northampton, England, for 
Rev. Thos. L. Johnson. 



AN UNKNOWN LAND. 



Of no country in the world has so little hith- 
erto been known as of Africa. Recent discoveries 
in Africa, however, mark the present as an in- 
teresting crisis in her history. No country in 
the world has stronger claims upon Christendom 
than Africa, which has for ages been the crippled 
limb of humanity. From century to century 
she has remained almost in sight of civilized 
nations, enriching them with her ivory, drugs, 
woods, and metals, receiving in exchange a few 
insignificant beads, and rum, which is a curse to 
the country. 

All these years she has remained uncivilized, 
and, for the most part, unknown. Up to the 
present day, there are thousands of people who 
know more about almost every part of the world 
than of Africa. From generation to generation 
it has lain a blank on the map of nations. For 
hundreds of years . the names of a few places 
around the coasts have been known, but not un- 
til the discoveries of 'Burton, Schweinfurth, 
Speak, Grant, Dr. Livingstone, whose name will 
live as long as Africa exists, and Cameron, 
Stanley and many others, did the world begin 



io AN UNKNOWN LAND. 

to know anything about the vast interior, with 
its neglected, perishing millions of heathen, 
knowing nothing of the one true God. 

But the dawn of a brighter day grows on 
apace. Thank God, a door effectual has been 
opened to the great interior, and Christians of 
every name and nation are at work sending the 
everlasting gospel to that long-neglected conti- 
nent. Our God, who is the God of the op- 
pressed, is about to reclaim an injured race. 
Africa is said to contain one-fourth part of the 
entire land area of the globe. It is five thousand 
miles in length from north to south, and four 
thousand six hundred miles in breadth from east 
to west. Bounded on the north by the Mediter- 
ranean Sea, separating it from Europe ; on the 
east by the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and 
Asia, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, 
which separates it from the American coast. It 
is estimated to have a population of largely 
over two hundred millions of people. 

By giving a thought to Africa, we cannot fail 
to be struck with the magnitude and importance 
of this vast continent. We, as Christians, en- 
joying the blessed privileges of the gospel, 

"Who were not born as thousands are, 

Where God was never known ; 
And taught to pray a useless prayer, 

To blocks of wood and stone," 

should know more about this vast continent, and 



A N UNKNO WN LA ND. 1 1 

its neglected, perishing millions of heathen. 
We should know more about the condition of 
the many tribes inhabiting this long-neglected 
continent, which has for ages presented nothing 
but desolation, ruin and misery. Oh, think of 
it ! For centuries the blessed gospel has been 
preached, and made most wonderful progress, 
while millions in Africa have lived and died, 
having never heard of the one true God, or of 
our blessed Jesus. 

Age after age they have been alllowed to sit 
in darkness and the shadow of Death ; no one 
to bring to them the message of eternal life. 

STORY OF NATIVE CONVERTS. 

While in England, I attended a missionary 
meeting with the late Kev. Alfred Sakes, who 
spent thirty years in Africa. He told a very 

TOUCHING STORY OF A NATIVE CONVERT. 

He said to the missionary : " There is one 
thing I want to ask, Where is my father? He 
died; he never heard of Jesus; your people 
have heard of Jesus for ages. How is it that 
you white people could send here for slaves, and 
not send us word about Jesus?" Dr. Living- 
stone says, when he told a South African Chief 
of the great white throne and Him who shall 
sit on it, from whose face the heaven and earth 
shall flee away, he said, " You startle me, these 
words make all my bones to shake ; I have no 
more strength in me. My forefathers were liv- 



12 AN UNKNO WN LA ND. 

ing at the time yours were, and how is it that 
they did not send them word about these terrible 
things sooner?" 

For ages, t^he mothers and fathers by millions 
have been passing from time into eternity, know- 
ing nothing of the great plan of salvation, and 
that too almost in sight of civilization. No part 
of the world has stronger claim upon the Chris- 
tion Church to-day, than long-oppressed, long- 
neglected Africa. 

While attending the C. A, B. M. convention 
in Baltimore, Md., October, 1880, a gentleman 
asked me, " Why is it that Africa has been in 
the condition she is, for so many years?" This 
is a question which no doubt hundreds have 
asked. It is a question I have often asked my- 
self in years past. Why is it, that while 
other nations have risen and fallen, and risen 
again, and gone on successfully, Africa, the land 
of my fathers, has been going down, down, 
from bad to worse, from century to century ? 
Before I attempt to give what seems to me, at 
least, the reason why she has thus remained for 
the past four or five centuries, we will ask an- 
other question : Has Africa always been in this 
condition ? 






AFRICA OF THE ANCIENTS. 



The only knowledge we have of any country, 
nation or people, is what we gather from history. 
The historian tells us that Africa, of which so 
little is now known, not only flourished at one 
period of the world, but that she was the cradle 
of the arts and sciences ; that when Greece was 
yet young, and Rome unknown, before Abraham 
was, or the Jewish commonwealth had a name, 
Africa could boast of old and- civilized king- 
doms.* Africa once had her churches, her col- 
leges, her repositories of the sciences and learn- 
ing, her Cyprians and Bishops of apostolic re- 
nown, and her noble army of martyrs. f Africa, 
the land of my fathers, has indeed, been a high- 
ly-favored country. It was in Africa that Moses, 
the most extraordinary man that lived in the 
early ages, was born and educated. 

When all Europe and Western Asia lay sunk 
in deep darkness, there was light in Africa. 
And again, when in the "Dark Ages," the light 
of Greece and Rome had suffered an eclipse, 
and darkness once more settled down over Eu- 
rope, there was light in Africa. 

* Negro problem solved. 
tMoffatt's Southern Africa. 



14 AFRICA OF THE ANCIENTS. 

The first permanent advance made by the 
world in literature, and for the perpetuation of 
science, was the invention of an alphabet ; this 
we owe to Egypt. The alphabet was a result of 
Egyptian hieroglyphics. Cadmus is said to have 
brought into Greece sixteen letters of the alpha- 
bet 1519 years before Christ. Learning, like the 
alphabet, traveled from. Africa into Europe 
through the Phoenicians, another branch of the 
family of Ham. The progress made by certain 
African states in the sciences of civil government 
indicates the advanced condition of these states. 

Systems of government imply the existence 
of wise statesmen, and institutions of learning 
and civil polity. These are never found except in 
an advanced state of civilization. 

CARTHAGE BEFORE ITS FALL. 

Carthage was a republic and enjoyed perhaps 
the most perfect system of civil polity which has 
fallen to the lot of any nation before Great 
Britain. Her government was far in advance of 
any other ancient government save the Jewish. 

She took the lead in all which exalts human 
nature, and confers the highest blessings on so- 
ciety. Her provinces were opulent and enlight- 
ened, including nearly the whole of North and 
West Africa and the islands of the Mediterra- 
nean. She could boast of renowned sages and 
learned fathers of the church.* 



'Negro problem solved. 



AFRICA OF THE ANCIENTS. 15 

"Carthage became one of the greatest com- 
mercial cities in the world ; the number of the 
inhabitants before its destruction amounted to 
700,000."* 

Rev. H. Read, speaking of the African races 
as being pioneers and the first cultivators of the 
arts and sciences, says : " We would therefore 
seem to hazard nothing in the conclusion that 
commerce and the arts, science and learning, 
civilization and human improvement in general, 
were first identified with and developed through 
a race that has now for long ages been associated 
only with degradation and barbarous ignorance." 
Dr. Smythe says : "We may, therefore, as phi- 
losophical inquirers seeking after truth, admit 
the full force of any facts which may encourage 
the belief that there was a time when the black 
race of men were the pioneers, or at least the 
equals of any other races in all the arts and ac- 
quirements of man's primitive civilization." Af- 
rica has indeed presented some noble specimens 
of manhood, men who were profound thinkers 
and acute reasoners, men who were advocates of 
truth and equity, men who were able writers and 
zealous defenders of the christian religion. 

A FEW GREAT MEN. 

Cyprian, who lived in the third century, was 
an African, born in Carthage. He became one 

*Chambers' Encyclopaedia. 



1 6 AFRICA OF THE ANCIENTS. 

of the fathers of the church in Africa ; in conse- 
quence of his profound piety he was made bishop 
of the church. History tells us that he was both 
a learned and eloquent divine. His writings 
were very extensive. Athanasius was born in 
Alexandria. He distinguished himself when 
quite a youth, on account of persecutions. He 
became an exile in the Egyptian desert, where 
he wrote several works to confirm orthodox 
christians in their faith. From this time twenty 
years of his life were spent in exile, or what was 
equivalent to it. He was the leading ecclesiastic 
in the most trying period of the history of the 
early christian church. His ability, his judi- 
ciousness and wisdom, his fearlessness in the 
storms of opposition, his activity and patience, 
all mark him out as an ornament of the age as 
well as the most influential public character in 
matters of Keligion.* 

ST. AUGUSTINE 

was born in the year of 35i at Tagaste, a town 
in Numidia, North Africa. At sixteen he went 
to Carthage to complete his education. He was 
a man of rare learning and very industrious ; it 
was recorded that he was the author of two hun- 
dred and thirty separate treatises on theological 
subjects. In the year of 397 appeared his con- 
fession in thirteen books. It is a deep, earnest 
and sacred autobiography of one of the greatest 

♦Chamber's Encyclopedia. 



AFRICA OF THE ANCIENTS. 17 

intellects the world has seen. Passages of it have 
no parallel except in the psalms of David. His 
work is one of the most profound and lasting 
monuments of human genius. No mind has ex- 
erted greater influence on the church than that 
of St. Augustine.* 

ARNOBIUS, 

an African, became a christian in the third cen- 
tury. He wrote several books in which he de- 
fended the christian religion. Origen, Clement, 
and many others we have not the space in this 
little book to mention, were as able teachers and 
advocates of the christian religion, as are to be 
found in the history of any other nation. 

Not only has Africa been the fatherland and 
home of the scholar, the philosopher, statesman, 
architect and learned divines. It was in Africa 
our blessed Jesus sought refuge, and when on 
His way up the hill of Calvary He chose that an 
African should help Him bear His cross. From 
what we gather from the historian, Africa of the 
Ancients was not one whit behind any other 
country on the globe. 

^Chambers' Encyclopaedia. 



AFRICA OF TO-DAY. 



Native Africans have shown themselves mas- 
ters in every station in life ; but the light which 
shone so beautifully many centuries ago in Af- 
rica, has long since given place to great dark- 
ness. What Africa has once been, religious 
training can make her again, and when the 
christian family does her duty to Africa, her sons 
will not be found wanting when called upon in 
the future to take part in the great events yet to 
transpire. 

Now, then, to the question. How Africa (in 
such an advanced state of civilization) lost her 
position, degenerated and became enveloped in 
darkness, we cannot tell. i 'Whether it lies in the 
early and utter destruction of the primitive 
church of North Africa by the Saracenic con- 
quests, completely exterminating the faith of 
Christ in those regions, or whether in the uni- 
versal and long-continued apostasy of the church 
of the middle ages," we cannot tell. But why 
has she continued thus (for four or five centuries) 
in darkness and the shadow of death, while 
other nations have been making such progress 
in literature, the arts, sciences and religion. Of 



AFRICA OF TO-DAY. 19 

all the long and dark catalogue of crime in 
Africa, the land of my fathers, we have only- 
space to mention one gigantic evil, which 
we claim to be the cause of her condition for the 
past four or five centuries. 

THE CURSE OF SLAVEEY. 

Slavery will degrade any nation upon the face 
of God's earth. It can be shown that in all ages 
and climes slavery and oppression has resulted 
in ignorance, degradation, carnage and death. 

From the able work of the Rev. Hollis Read, 
who has given to the world a most interesting 
account of African history, I have collected the 
following : u Of all the nations that have cursed 
Africa, the Portuguese have been the direst 
curse. These people visited Africa during the 
early part of the fourteenth century, seized and 
made slaves of the natives. In the course of 
time they controlled the west coast of Africa. 

OTHEE CAUSES OF DEGEADATION. 

There is not a blacker page in history than 
that which records the atrocities of the Portuguese 
in Africa. One writer says the Portuguese were 
men of the basest behavior, cruel and corrupt 
above all men. 

Then Africa became a place of banishment for 
criminals convicted of various outrages ; a place 
where adventurers (who hated the restraint of 
the law) sought, freedom. The natives them- 
selves, in their lamentable condition, detested 



20 AFRICA OF TO-DAY. 

the shameless atrocities of their visitors. Then 
came also the Dutch, introducing rum and other 
vices. 

Herds of pirates next infested the coast. 
They spread themselves over the whole coast, 
and there commenced and continued unheard of 
cruelties. Perfectly versed in all the vices of 
civilization, when not at sea, they committed the 
most remorseless depredations on shore. 

Following these came the Jesuits, who only 
perpetuated what the Portuguese had commenced. 
Their religion (says an officer who was on the 
coast) was a religion of money and blood ; it was 
without truth, without a Sabbath, and without 
mercy. It brought with it no truth-telling bible, 
no sacred rest. 



HOW SLAVES WERE CAPTURED. 



All of these classes had a hand in the slave 
trade. The cruelties of the capture are, in my 
opinion, what has broken the people up into so 
many clans and petty tribes. A trader contracts 
with some king for from one to five hundred 
slaves. He promises to assist the king in the 
capture. At night when all is quiet, this king, 
assisted by the trader and his men, surprises the 
inhabitants of some peaceful town or city. The 
work of plunder, murder and bloodshed is com- 
menced. Houses are at once set on fire. All 
the old men and women and young children are 
murdered, while the able-bodied young men and 
women are taken and made slaves. It is re- 
corded that on these occasions from 20,000 to 
60,000 became victims to slaughter. Many 
would make their escape to the mountains and 
caves, where they were followed. If they could 
not be induced to come out, fires were built at 
the entrance, and they either suffocated or com- 
pelled to come out. One writer says : "I 
should think that in addition to the 7,000 or 
8,000 taken captives, at least 15,000 were killed 
in defense or suffocation at the time of being 
taken. This has been carried on from age to 
age, district after district being broken up." 



22 HOW SLAVES WERE CAPTURED. 

Speaking of the moral desolation of Africa by 
this trade, a writer says : "All moral virtue has 
been extinguished in the people, their industry 
annihilated by "this one ruinous curse. This 
trade, carried on for years, has destroyed all so- 
ciety, all confidence. Large cities having been 
burnt and districts broken up, the people live in 
clans in different parts of the country, each man 
suspicious of his neighbor. It has no doubt been 
the principal cause of war for hundreds of 
years." 

Governor Ashman speaks of large sections of 
country once fertile and under a high state of 
cultivation, but since completely depopulated 
aud reduced to a desert by the slave trade. 

For hundreds of years Africa has been brought 
in contact with the most outrageous and cruel 
class of men on the face of the earth. Can you 
wonder at the condition of Africa after having 
such tutors and such training? The question 
should not be, Why has Africa remained in this 
condition, but the wonder should be that there is 
a single redeeming feature left; that its people 
are not totally corrupt and sunk into the depths 
of human corruption. Deep, deep, indeed, has 
Africa's sons drank the dregs of human bitter- 
ness. Perhaps no nation has been compelled to 
pass through such a school, -under such tutors, 
as the people of Afiica. 



A LABOR OF LOVE. 



Knowing something of the sufferings of ray 
fatherland, I had an intense desire to go to Afri- 
ca. This was soon after my conversion in 1857. 
I felt anxious to go and preach the gospel. Be- 
ing a slave, no door was opened for me to pre- 
pare myself for this great work. For many 
years, therefore, it was my secret desire to go to 
Africa and preach the gospel to my own, long- 
benighted people. Long before I entered the 
ministry I often thought of it. 

After I was ordained in Olivet Baptist church, 
Chicago, 111., April 15th, 1869, I was called to 
take charge of a church in Denver, Colorado, 
where I remained for three years. The desire 
to go to Africa never left me. I resigned and re- 
turned to Chicago with the intention of prepar- 
ing myself for the African mission work. Friends 
persuaded me not to go. Even my beloved fath- 
er in the gospel, Rev. R. DeBaptiste, persuaded 
me to remain in the State of Illiuois, which I 
did for four years and five months. 

Having served over 28 years as a slave in Vir- 
ginia, deprived of the advantages of an educa- 
tion, friends in England sent for me to come to 
that country to pursue a course of study before 



24 A LABOR OF LOVE. 

going to Africa. Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Smith had 
interceded for me after their return home to 
England. 

After a two years' course at Rev. C. H. Spur- 
geon's College in London, I was sent out by the 
Baptist Missionary Society of Great Britain as a 
missionary to Africa. November 6th, 1878, 
Rev. C. H. Richardson and his wife, my wife 
and myself bade farewell to the dear, kind friends 
in London. We arrived in Manchester in the 
afternoon, spent the night with our friends, Mr. - 
E. S. Smith's family, who were the means of 
our being in England. On Saturday afternoon, 
Nov. 9th, at 3:30, we sailed from Liverpool on 
the S. 8. Kinsemho. 



LIFE IN AFRICA. 



November 16th we came in sight of the island 
of Poto Santo. On awaking from sleep the next 
morning we found ourselves anchored at Fun- 
chal, the capitol of the island of Maderia, a beau- 
tiful little town with a population of about 30,- 
000. After stopping at Grand Canaria and Ten- 
eriffe, on the evening of Nov. 22d we came in 
sight of Cape Yerde on the west coast of Africa, 
where there is a large French colony. As soon 
as I caught sight of the peak, nearly 30 miles off, 
I went into my stateroom for my telescope. For 
years my prayer had been that I might see Afri- 
ca, the land of my fathers, and now my prayer 
was answered. 

"Delight thyself also in the Lord ; and He shall give thee 
the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord ; 
trust also in Him ; and He shall bring it to pass." — Psalms, 
37, 45- 

I can never describe my feelings of joy. I 
could not leave my stateroom without falling 
upon my knees and thanking my Heavenly Father 
for permitting me to see the land of poor, suffer- 
ing Africa. I was so delighted that I was near 
the coast of Africa, the land for which I had 
prayed and of which I had dreamed, I could 



26 LIFE IN AFRICA. 

sleep but a few hours. On the morning of the 
23d I was up at 4 o'clock to get another look at 
the land of my fathers. Soon I was informed 
that we had entered 

THE MOUTH OF THE GAMBIA KIVER. 

As we proceeded up the river I heard that a 
pilot was expected to meet us. Having been 14 
days on the steamer, we were all anxious once 
more to get on land. Soon we saw a small boat. 
"There's the pilot, there's the pilot," cried out 
first one and then another. The little boat was 
quickly by the side of the steamer. The pilot 
came on board. He was a native. As scon as 
I could I had an interview with him. I found 
him to be a christian and quite an intelligent 
man. His name was Wm. Halfner. 

ON DRY LAND. 

Soon we found ourselves anchored at the beau- 
tiful little town of Bathurst on the Gambia river. 
This settlement was. formed for the suppression 
of the slave trade and the encouragement of legi- 
timate commerce. It is about 10 miles from the 
mouth of the river. It contains quite a number 
of fine dwelling-houses. Here we put our feet 
on African soil for the first time. 

The chief stores of European merchants front 
the river. I was quite surprised to find such 
fine stone buildings, a fine Government house 
and barracks and hospital on a line fronting the 
river. 



LIFE IN AFRICA. 27 

Mr. Walcott, a colored lawyer, who had been 
educated in England, invited us to his house, as 
also did Mr. Brown, American Consul. 

We had quite a nice time going around the 
town, meeting with different native gentlemen 
holding office under the English Government. 
The Harbor Master, Postmaster, City Clerk, 
Queen's Consul and the Custom House officers 
were all native black men. Here we met native 
merchants, ship builders, men in almost every 
capacity of business, educated either in England 
or Sierra Leone. 

There were also two fine churches and a thriv- 
day school, which made my heart glad. 

Here we had the first opportunity of seeing 
the tall Man dingoes, Joloffs and natives of other 
tribes in their native dress. In the back part of 
the town we saw many native huts formed of 
bamboo, thatched with long grass. 

The Gambia river is a magnificent stream, and 
is said to be navigable for vessels to a distance 
of nearly 400 miles. What is better still, here 
the messengers of life have met with great suc- 
cess in proclaiming the everlasting gospel. On 
the morning of Nov. 27th" we entered the harbor 
of Free Town. 



LIFE IN SIERRA LEONE. 



The first British settlement formed on the 
west coast of Africa for the suppression of the 
slave trade and the encouragement of legiti- 
mate commerce was Sierra Leone. Free- 
town is the capital, and is indeed a beautiful 
place. It is situated on the south side of the 
river. The first view we got of this beautiful 
town was perfectly grand. The land in the 
neighborhood inclines gradually upwards into 
hills, covered everywhere with vegetation, pre- 
senting a most picturesque scene. Many of the 
buildings are of a very substantial character. 

Almost every house has its nice large yard 
and garden, in which the banana, orange, cocoa- 
nut, pineapple and many other kinds of delicious 
fruit grow. High up on the hill in the rear of 
the town are to be seen the Government house, 
barracks, hospital, the signal station and a fine 
church. 

At ten o'clock we went ashore. The first 
place we visited was the market-house. This 
was quite a large building, taking up over half a 
block. Fruits, vegetables and different articles 
were displayed for sale. There were also stalls 
filled with tinware, hardware, etc. 



LIFE IN SIERRA LEONE. 29 

Many of the natives speak the English lan- 
guage well. I was delighted to meet with some 
who talked to me about our blessed Jesus. 

Close by the market-house stands the Episco- 
pal church, a fine building. 

A WEDDING IN AFRICA, 

A large gathering of people stood around the 
gates of the Episcopal church and were kept 
back by the police. We had been informed that 
a grand wedding would take place in this church 
at 11 o'clock. The daughter of a Free Town 
merchant was to be married to a merchant from 
Switzerland. We went to the gate and were at 
once admitted. A large company had assem- 
bled, among whom could be seen all colors, 
from black to white. Nearly all of them were 
fashionably dressed. 

Soon the bride and groom made their appear- 
ance, with their relatives and many friends. Mr. 
Broadhurst, the bride's father, is a wealthy mer- 
chant, and very popular among all classes in 
Free Town. On this occasion all the principal 
business houses in the town were closed. After 
the marriage we took a walk along the street 
leading from the church to the residence of the 
bride. Along the entire way flags were hanging 
out of almost every window. In many places 
ropes were stretched across the street with flags 
and mottoes. We were invited by the bride's 
father to his house. The bride had many valu- 



30 LIFE IN SIERRA LEONE. 

able presents. A handsome silver set was sent 
to her from England. 

The most pleasing feature in Free Town, and 
from what I hear in the colony also, is the great 
progress made by the messengers of peace. 
Nothing has or can civilize and elevate like the 
word of God. Christian schools have long since 
been established, and for years have made most 
wonderful progress. 

There is hardly a trading post on the west 
coast that has not some business man, clerk or 
native missionary educated at Sierra Leone. 
High schools have been established for the 
training of native teachers and preachers. The 
advancement of the people is indeed astonishing. 
There, too, are native merchants doing a large 
business with some of the wealthiest firms in 
London. 



LIBERIA. 



Our next stopping-place was Grand Bassa. 
We had to anchor three miles out, so we could 
not see much of the town. I was much disap- 
pointed that we did not stop at Monrovia, but on 
my return to England I had the opportunity to' 
do so. The scenery along the coast of Liberia 
from Grand Cape Mount to the Gulf of Guinea, 
a distance of about 600 miles, is indeed grand. 
A few miles from the coast the country rises to 
hills, with gigantic trees, presenting a panorama 
that can only be described by a skillful artist. 

Monrovia is the capitol of the Republic. It 
rests on a beautiful hill overlooking the sea, sur- 
rounded by trees. There are many very fine 
buildings in the city, which are creditable to the 
Monro vian people. The President's house is 
built of brick, as are also many others of the 
buildings. Many are built of stone. The wharves . 
face the sea, where there are colored firms doing 
a large business with England, Scotland, Ger- 
many and America. 

While in Monrovia for a short time I ■ called, 
in company with Hon. John H. ., Smith, IT. S. 
Consul, to see Mr. Sherman, who does a large 
business, both with England and America. Af- 



32 LIBERIA. 

ter my return to England I wrote to Mr. Sher- 
man for information regarding the articles of 
trade. This is the answer : "The articles of 
trade are palm oil, palm kernels, coffee, ivory, 
camwood, ginger and rubber. Many of our 
merchants do a business of $100,000 to $150,000 
a year. One of Messrs. Gates & Porterfield's 
vessels left here for New York on the 7th inst., 
(April 7th, 1880) with a cargo of $50,000 worth, 
collected within two months. In this cargo were 
118,000 pounds of coffee. 

The soil of Liberia is extremely fertile, and 
will produce all kinds of tropical fruits and pro- 
duce, sugar-cane, indigo, Indian corn, rice, cot- 
ton, cocoa, peanuts and coffee, the finest in the 
world. Vegetables are cultivated with great 
success. There are to be found the finest dye- 
woods, the ebony, the gum plant and the gigantic 
palm trees which produce the palm oil. On my 
way to England from Africa 1,500 casks were 
shipped on the same steamer to Liverpool, a 
good share of it being shipped from the coast of 
Liberia. Goats, swine, sheep, cattle and fowls 
all thrive in Liberia. 

This republic has a glorious work to accom- 
plish in the future. She will undoubtedly be in 
time the most prosperous State on the west 
coast of Africa. With the civil, social and re- 
ligious advantages she enjoys, she must succeed. 
The annexation of the kingdom of Medina, with 



LIBERIA. 33 

FIVE HTTNDKED THOUSAND INHABITANTS, 

and her wide and fertile domains extending over 
two hundred miles into the interior, will no 
doubt inspire renewed energy in giving fuller 
opportunities for the advancement of the gospel, 
as well as an open door for civilization and com- 
merce. 

Above all, thank God! the truth is having 
"free course," and being "glorified" in the re- 
public. Much zeal and perseverance have been 
displayed throughout the republic. Fine church- 
es, school buildings and a nice college, are to be 
seen in Monrovia. Oh! see how many doors 
are being opened in Africa for Christian workers, 
who will go and tell the lost about our blessed 
Jesus ! 

November 30, at 6 o'clock in the morning, 
we arrived at Nifou on the coast of Liberia. I 
counted forty-nine canoes with two or three 
men in each, going out fishing. At twenty-five 
minutes to ten we stopped at Grand Cess, Li- 
beria. Here fifteen canoes came out, with from 
three to twenty men in each, some with cloth 
around their waists, others with nothing on. 
I saw one man with a string around his waist 
and a large straw hat on. 

These are the Kroo tribe, the Aborigines of 
a part of Liberia. They are a fine-looking peo- 
ple and very industrious. But for this class of 
people, I do not know what the European trad- 



34 LIBERIA. 

ers or the African Steamship Companies would 
do. All the steamers reaching Sierra Leone and 
the .coast of Liberia take on board a gang of 
"Kroo-men" to do the work of the ship in the 
hot climate. One hundred and thirty were taken 
on board to go down the coast to work. Many 
of them speak the broken English well. 

It is quite a sight to see these people coming 
out to meet the steamer in their canoes. They 
are very light, carved out of one piece of wood, 
formed like a cigar. They are propelled by 
several of the men sitting down upon their heels 
in the bottom of the boat. Their yells as they 
approach the steamer are frightful when they 
come on board to work. Each man selects a 
name to suit himself, "Salt Water," "Coffee," 
"Shilling," "Glass Bottles," "Pea Soup," 
"Bottle of Beer," and the like, are common 
names among them. " Coffee " seems to be the 
most favorite. I wish I could say more about 
Liberia and its surroundings, but my space is 
limited. 



WESTERN COAST TOWNS. 



The more important towns on the west coast 
are Elmina, quite an important town of 18,000 
to 20,000 inhabitants, also Cape Coast Castle, 
which is a beautiful place with its ports, light 
house, signal station and large castle. Around 
on the heights are to be seen beautiful houses of 
the wealthy natives and Europeans. Accra is 
another beautiful and important place. These 
are all on the gold coast. 

LAGOS 

is said to be the most populous town on the west 
coast. It has wide streets, nice stores and many 
fine dwellings. They have their markets, sol- 
diers, police force, churches, schools, court 
house, custom house, Government house and 
barracks. The population is estimated to be 
about 50,000. 

BONNY, 

one of our stopping places, was in past years a 
favorite rendezvous for slave ships. It has only 
been about 12 or 15 years since they were all 
cannibals. It is said that even now in some 
parts near Bonny the barbarous custom of bu- 
rying twins immediately after their birth, pre- 



36 WESTERN COAST TOWNS. 

vails. It is so unhealthy at this place that Eu- 
ropean merchants live in hulks out on the river. 
Archdeacon Crowther, a native, who has 
charge of the mission work, invited me to dine 
with" him,* Princess Florance Siscelia Peble Pep- 
per being present. Here I had the great pleas- 
ure of 

DINING WITH AN AFRICAN PRINCESS. 

She and her brother, King George, were both 
educated in England. Mr. Crowther took me to 
the school, where I was delighted to hear the 
children repeat passages of scripture, give their 
opinions about them, tell who wrote them, then 
go through history, arithmetic and geography, 
all of which they were well acquainted with. 

I took a walk around among the native huts. 
I saw several huts having skulls hung up in them. 
I was told, by Mr. Crowther, that these were 
the skulls of captives taken in battle, that these 
people, years ago were cannibals, and had eaten 
the flesh of their enemies to make them brave. 
Thank God, through the influence of mission 
work and the spread of the gospel among these 
people, this custom has passed away, and the 
people are ashamed to be told that they once ate 
the flesh of their fellow-men. Not only has the 
preaching of the gospel done great good in Bonny, 
but far into the interior they arc giving up their 
idols, and bowiDg to the " one true God." 

*At some of these places we stop three or four days. 



WESTERN COAST TOWNS. 37 

ASHANTEE AND DAHOMEY. 

In traveling on the west coast of Africa you 
often hear of Ashantee and Dahomey, two very 
powerful kingdoms. The Ashantees are said to 
be the most numerous, warlike and powerful. 
This kingdom lies inland from the English set- 
tlements, between the rivers Assini and Volta, 
and has been estimated to have a population of 
four million people, and are noted for their skill in 
manufacturing cotton, earthenware and swords. 

GOLD IS POUND IN GREAT ABUNDANCE 

in this country. Information given by Bowdich, 
Dupuis and others, show how these gentlemen 
were struck with the display of gold years ago. 
They found the attendants of the King laden 
with with ornaments of gold. The common ar- 
ticles for daily use were made of gold. But, oh ! 
how repulsive to read of the barbarous customs of 

OFFERING HUMAN SACRIFICES. 

These gentlemen saw at the King's palace the 
royal executioner, with his hatchet on his breast 
and the fatal blood-stained stool before him, 
ready, at the sound of the death drum, to do his 
fearful work. They heard that the King had re- 
cently murdered, over his mother's grave, three 
hundred victims. On the death of a royal per- 
son many hundred people are massacred. In 
late years, through the influence of missionaries 
and the authorities at Cape-Coast Castle, there 



38 WESTERN COAST TOWNS. 

has not been so much of this wholesale slaughter- 
ing of human lives, yet many are often murdered. 

DAHOMEY 

is another powerful kingdom in West Africa, 
separated from Ashantee by the river Yolta. 
The wholesale murder in years past, was one of 
the chief features in their religious and state cer- 
emonies. Abomey, the capitol of Dahomey, 
has been for many years the human slaughter- 
house, where the King, chiefs and people have 
found their greatest pleasure and excitement in 
sacrificing as many (it has been estimated) as 
2000 human victims at one grand custom. These 
people not only murder a large number of peo- 
ple on the death of a great man, but believe that 
in the other world a King is still a King, a slave 
is still a slave ; hence they kill anuually so many 
slaves to send to the departed King. Also, 
whenever the King wants to send a message to 
his deceased relatives he delivers it to one of 
his slaves, whose head is instantly cut off, 
that he may carry the message to the other 
world, that the deceased may know that they are 
not forgotten. A few years ago when the King of 
Dahomey died, 280 of his wives were murdered. 
Thank God, through the influence of Chris- 
tian civilization, this is not so bad now as in 
past years. The King's palace at Abomey is said 
to be surrounded by a clay wall twenty feet high, 
the top of which is covered with human skulls. 



AT OUR DESTINATION. 



After stopping a short time at the island of 
Fernando Po, where we were entertained by the 
wife of the British Consul, we arrived at Victoria, 
Carneroons, on the afternoon of Saturday, De- 
cember 14, 1878. This was our destination. 
Victoria is a beautiful little town of 500 inhabi- 
tants fronting Ambas Bay, with a commanding 
view of both bay and sea. On the north, south 
and east are high hills. In the distance can be 
seen the Carneroons Mountains, 13,000 feet 
above the level of the sea. The town is beauti- 
fully laid out with broad streets. Each house 
has a large yard and garden, in many of which 
are to be seen the palm, lime, cocoanut, bread- 
fruit, custard-fruit, orange, banana and plantain 
trees. The cottages are neat and clean, built 
after the style of European cottages. These are 
occupied by the English-speaking people who 
are native Christians, and many of them have, 
for long years, been earnest workers for our 
blessed Jesus. 

The next day after our arrival being Sabbath, 
Kev. E.W.Thomson, missionary in charge, invited 
me to take the morning service. A few min- 
utes to 7 o'clock the bell rang, we were soon 



40 AT OUR DESTINATION. 

at the church, a fine stone building capable of 
seating 350 to 400 people. In a short time quite 
a number of well-dressed, intelligent-looking 
people had assembled. I gave out a hymn and 
they sang as well as many congregations I have 
preached to in America and England. When I 
commenced to read, nearly all of them opened 
their bibles to follow me in the lesson. Here I 
had the opportunity for the first time in my life, 
to speak for my blessed Jesus in Africa, the land 
of my fathers. I took for my text : " Believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 
saved." Acts, 16: 31. I cannot remember of 
preaching to a more attentive audience. 

At 10 o'clock we all went to the Sabbath 
school. Rev. C. H. Richardson and myself 
were invited to take classes ; my class was of 
young men. All of them 

COULD BEAD THE BIBLE. 

At the close of the school I requested the chil- 
dren to sing "Come to the Savior." They sang 
it beautifully. The school was well attended 
and perfect order was observed during the ser- 
vices. 

For years Victoria has been a city of refuge. 
The late Rev. Alfred Saker, who labored in Af- 
rica about 30 years, established this station in 
the year 1858. He purchased from the natives 
(for the Baptist Missionary Society of Great 
Britain) a tract of land extending ten miles along 



AT OUR DESTINATION. 41 

the coast and five miles inland. Yictoria is 
about the center. Here no natives are allowed 
to hold slaves or sell their daughters for wives, 
as is the custom. Here no one is allowed to be 
punished for witchcraft, etc. Each man is al- 
lowed to have as many wives as he is able to 
purchase among the natives. On my return to 
the coast from the interior I stopped with a chief 
who had forty wives. 

At Yictoria no man is allowed to have more 
than one wife. It often happens among the na- 
tives that when a child dies one wife will accuse 
another of having witched it. The woman is at 
once arrested and made to drink the juice of a 
wood called cass wood, which often kills them 
at once. Men also are often accused of witch- 
craft and are compelled to drink this juice. If 
they die they are guilty. If they recover (as 
some do who have strong constitutions) they 
are made to pay. If these people who are con- 
demned can make their escape to Victoria they 
are safe. 

The missionaries and christians have for years 
rescued many of these people who were on the 
very eve of being put to death. In one month 
I think that Rev. Q. "W. Thomson rescued eight 
from the hands of these people, who had been 
condemned to death. To-day there are over 400 
of these refugees in Yictoria, where they are 
brought under the influence of the gospel and 
their children taught in the day school. Many 
of them have become christians. 



42 AT OUR DESTINATION. 

For years there has been another repulsive 
custom. "When a mother dies and there are no 
relatives to take the infants or young children, 
they are 

PUT INTO THE GRAVE WITH THEIR MOTHER. 

I am sorry I cannot now remember how many 
children Mrs. Alfred Saker (who was a mother 
among the Cameroas people for years) rescued 
and brought up in her own house. Many of 
them lived to be men and women. Some be- 
came teachers, and two or three are now in act- 
ive service for the Master. Had it not been for 
the messengers of peace who went with undaunt- 
ed courage and unceasing faith, these men and 
women condemned for witchcraft would have 
been lost. 

Dear friend, you who now read these pages, 
you who were born in this christian land where 
you have the gospel, my prayer is that if you 
cannot go to Africa to preach the gospel or teach 
the people, you will at once resolve to do 
all you can to send others to teach and preach. 
While we are in this christian land enjoying gos- 
pel privileges, millions are slaves to superstition 
and witchcraft in Africa, perishing for want of 
the word of life. 

"Shall we whose souls are lighted 

By wisdom from on high, 
Shall we to men benighted, 

The light of life deny? 
God forbid. Give a thought to Africa." 



THE INTERIOR. 



We had not been in Victoria three days before 
I was taken with the fever. January 20th Rev. 
C. H. Richardson and Rev. Q. W. Thomas left 
for the interior, to select a new station ; I being 
ill, could not go. On the 4th of February Mr. 
Thomas returned. Mr. Richardson having suf- 
fered with fever had been left at Bakundu, 80 
miles in the interior, with two native Christians. 
Bakundu had been selected as f the new mission 
station, hence he would remain there until joined 
by his wife, Mrs. Johnson and myself. The 
only roads through this country are narrow foot 
paths from town to town, sometimes in the tracks 
of the elephant. All provisions or luggage must 
be carried on men's heads. The account we 
had of the route was anything but favorable to 
Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Richardson, — high hills 
to climb, large streams to cross. Although we 
knew that the traders along the river objected to 
interior mission work, we concluded we would 
go by water on account of the ladies. Mr. 
Greenfell, a merchant, volunteered to go with us. 

On Thursday, the 6th of February, before day 
in the morning (after a sweet season of prayer 



44 THE INTERIOR. 

with Rev. Mr. Thomson and the native brethren) 
we left Victoria in an open row-boat propelled 
by four Kroo men, followed by a large canoe 
with our provisions and eight men. At night 
we came to Mungo Creek. Here our interpreter 
and guide lost his way. We had intended to 
get by Mungo and Mbungo, the two principal 
towns, in the night. We passed Mungo, but 
at daybreak we found ourselves between the 
two towns. About 8 o'clock we got under the 
bank of the river, took out our things and pre- 
pared breakfast under the palm trees. 

About one o'clock we found we had been dis- 
covered by the natives, and we accordingly left in 
the afternoon. As we passed Mbungo there 
were a few people at the beach, to whom we 
spoke, and passed unmolested. On Friday night 
a man passed us in a canoe, and commenced to 
beat his drum as he went on up the river. These 
people can 

TALK ,TO EACH OTHER ON THEIR DRUMS 

almost as well as we send a message in this 
country by telegraph. They have schools to 
teach their children this art. On this occasion 
this man said on his drum, " White man come to 
take our country." The natives with me (12 
in number) did not tell me of this until the next 
day. Saturday morning at nine o'clock several 
canoes passed us, as we were taking our 
breakfast on the river, with from 15 to 20 men 



THE INTERIOR. 45 

in each. Seeing they were well armed with 
guns and cutlasses, I began to feel suspicious. 
Soon we were off. About ten o'clock we came 
up to them. They had all stopped on the beach, 
put on their war caps and stood in line along the 
river. 

"We were ordered to come ashore. We told 
them we would not ; if they had anything to say 
come out in their canoes. They tried to make us 
leave our boat and go on the beach, but we re- 
solved to stay in our boat. I do not know of any 
hour in my life when I realized the promise of my 
blessed Jesus more than in this hour, "Lo, I am 
with you alway." I said to my wife and her 
sister, Mrs. Richardson, we leaned upon the 
Lord. 

At one time we were surrounded by nearly a 
hundred men armed with their cutlasses, ready 
to cut into us as soon as the young Prince would 
give command. We soon found that it was im- 
possible for us to proceed. Hence 

WE HAD TO RETURN" AS PRISONERS 

to Mungo. We were in six hours of Bakundu 
beach. Late in the night we arrived at Mungo. 
Here they wanted us to leave our boat and go 
into the town and see the King. We knew how 
superstitious they were about our English boat, 
so we resolved if we had to die, to die in this 
boat. 

There were many of the traders at Mungo who 



46 THE INTERIOR. 

could talk English, and who knew how the Eng- 
lish protected the missionaries. Mr. Greenfel, 
who had been several years in Africa and knew 
something of the people, threatened them with 
English authority. After the king and his men 
held a consultation, he said to me : "You must 
pay for passing through my country." To this 
we agreed. I gave him a large overcoat, a bag 
of rice, a box of sugar, a blanket and a barrel of 
crackers. While he was admiring the coat 
(which he had put on) we shoved off. 

We arrived in Victoria on Sunday afternoon, 
having been three nights and four days on the 
water in this open row-boat. In one week from 
our return to Yictoria we commenced our jour- 
ney overland. Mrs. Richardson and Mrs. John- 
son were carried in hammocks when they did 
not prefer to walk. Our provisions and luggage 
were carried on men's heads. 

I have already mentioned that the best roads 
in this part of Africa are mere foot-paths through 
the forest, from town to town, on which the na- 
tives walk single file a few yards from each oth- 
er, each man with his load on his head and his 
cutlass in his hand, or at his side, to defend him- 
self against any beast or serpent that may be in 
the path. This was the way we started out 01 
Yictoria when we commenced our long journey 
of 80 miles through the wilderness. As we ad- 
vanced into the interior we found the people 



THE INTERIOR. 47 

along the route in a condition we had least ex- 
pected to see. They had their fixed dwellings, 
many of them built neatly of bamboo, well 
thatched with mats made from the palm fronds. 
They had their 

GARDENS AND FARMS, THEIR LAWS AND CUSTOMS, 

so that wherever we stopped at night we and 
our goods were safe. 

There are some eight or ten towns between 
Yictoria and Bakundu. We left Victoria on 
Monday morning. On the following Saturday 
afternoon we arrived at Bakundu, where we 
found Mr. Richardson well. We had a compa- 
ny of 30 men with us when we arrived. It cre- 
ated much excitement. 

The first thing I was most struck with was the 
joy of the old king. For years he had desired 
to have a missionary in his town to teach the 
people, as he had heard the natives were taught 
on the coast. Not only the king, but his sons 
and all his head men seemed delighted at our 
arrival. On Sunday we held a meeting in an 
old, unoccupied house. We found the people to 
be slaves to superstition and witchcraft, but not 
so bad as the other tribes around them. 

The custom of giving cass wood juice prevailed 
here as among the Bakwilli people, of whom I 
have made mention. The first case we heard of 
was a young man in the town who was accused 
of witching his sister's child. He was made 



48 THE INTERIOR. 

very ill from the effects of the juice, but finally 
recovered. As soon as we heard of it, Mr. Rich- 
ardson, who was always fearless and ready on 
all occasions to admonish the people, went at 
once to the king and told him how wrong it was 
to allow such a practice. The king promised to 
put a stop to it. He kept his word. During 
the nine months I was in the interior I did not 
hear of another such case. 

When we first arrived at Bakundu we could 
hardly sleep at night, for the yells of the people 
in their dance and the beating of their drums. 
This was kept up day and night. They knew 
nothing of the Sabbath. Hence they continued 
their drum beating Sundays as on other days. 
Mr. Richardson went to the king to have a law 
passed that no work or drum beating or dancing 
should be done on the Sabbath. The old man 
at once agreed to do so. The people then want- 
ed to know how they could tell when Sunday 
came. Mr. Richardson had a trumpet which he 
would (walk up and down the street every Fri- 
day night) blow, telling the people that the next 
day was Saturday, that they must bring enough 
provisions from their farms to last over Sunday. 

THEY HAD G-RBAT FAITH IN WHAT THE BIBLE SAID. 

On one occasion while Mr. Richardson was away 
with men at Victoria, the women came to me to 
get me to ask the Bible if their husbands were 
safe. 



A DYING KING. 



Soon after our arrived in Bakundu we all com- 
menced to pray that God would convert the 
King. Soon the old man was taken sick ; he sent 
for us ; we attended him ; gave him medicine 
which seemed to do him good ; but we soon 
found that he could not recover. I think he 
must have been about 90 years old. One day he 
sent for me and I found him very ill. He had a 
wooden bowl sitting by his bed in which was a 
liquid thick and black : this he was taking once 
in a while as 1 talked with him. I asked him what 
it was. He said : ' 'Witch make me sick, tell me 
not to take white man's medicine, and I take this 
medicine, get my stomach full, old witch come 
in my mouth, go in my stomach, he get blind 
and come out." I tried to persuade him to be- 
lieve that all power was in the hands of God, 
that by believing and trusting Him all these 
fears would leave him. He had always listened 
attentively to what we had to tell him about the 
great plan of salvation. 

We continued to visit him, and day after day he 
would send for medicine. One Sabbath after- 
noon my wife and I both lay ill in bed. Mr. and 



50 A DYING KING. 

Mrs. Eichardson went into the town to hold 
service ; our house was outside of the gate of the 
town. He found the king was very ill. The ex- 
citement was such that he could not hold the 
meeting, so he returned home. We were soon sent 
for. I was hardly able to get out of bed, but we 
were soon in his presence. The house was full of 
men. Women were not allowed to see him, not 
even his wives. One man sat at his back to hold 
him up, and two men on each side, three of them 
his sons. Ats soon as we entered the room they 
gave us stools to sit on. The old man was very 
weak, and looking as if he would soon pass from 
time into eternity, looked first at Mr. Richardson 
and then at me. His youngest son "Ngatee," 
about ten years old, was called to his side. He 
took one hand of the lad's and put it into Mr. 
Richardson's hand, the other into mine and said, 
"I give this boy to you. Take him and bring him 
up as your own child ; dress him like white man ; 
teach him to talk English and to read and write ; 
His brothers will get a wife for him." He re- 
quested that we should also take the girl whom 
they selected and keep her in the family and ed- 
ucate her. He then said, "Don't fear; I'm going 
now. 

THE TOWN BELONGS TO ME, AND I NOW GIVE IT TO YOU. 

My son Etau will succeed me. Take care of him ; 
be a father to him and the people." This son 
Etau was about 30 years old. He then requested 



A DYING KING. 51 

Mr. Richardson to take the names of all the boys 
in the royal family and head men, and com- 
mence school at once. Some 60 names were taken 
the next day. Mr. Richardson then told again 
the story ,of God's great love, that if he would 
believe and trust iu the word of God we would 
meet him in heaven. At this there came a groan 
and nodding of the heads of the suns and several 
present, as if to say yes, or amen ! I then said 
"Ta Ta Nambulee," (for that was what he was 
called) "you say you are going now, are you pre- 
pared to meet God ?" "Ah ! " said the old man, 
"I have been ill these ten days, and he has taken 
care of me; I can still trust him." We then 
wanted to pray with him, but his sons requested 
that we should let him rest as he was so weak. 
We left our interpreter to hear what he could after 
we had gone. After we had gone he said to his 
son who was to succeed him, " Etau, whatever 
these men tell you, believe it, I have found them 
to be true men. I have seen God. See all 
those people there, (pointing to the wall of his 
mud house) they have come after me ; they are 
a rejoicing people." 

Oh how we all rejoiced to hear this, so often 
we had prayed for the conversion of this man. 
One evening we sent our cook up to tell his expe- 
rience to the old man, and also to pray with him. 
He was a native convert. The old man enjoyed 
it very much, and said : "Tell white man (they 



52 A DYING KING. 

all called us white) to pray to God and ask Him, 
if it is His will, please spare me a little longer. 
If not, please prepare me to meet Him." 

For years tins old man had heard of the work 
of the missionaries on the coast, 80 miles away. 
A year before we settled at Bakundu, Kev. Q. 
"W*. Thomson had visited him and promised to 
send a missionary to labor among his people. 
After we had settled among them he was anx- 
ious to see how we would succeed. He sent for 
the women, who do nearly all the work on the 
farms, and charged them not to work on the Sab- 
bath, as it was God's day ; that they must attend 
divine service on that day. He was taken to his 
farm, where he died in two or three days. We 
arrived in Bakundu Feb. 2Sd, 1879. The king 
died in the latter part of June. Here was a hea- 
then who had only met the missionaries twice as 
they passed through his town. Then after hear- 
ing us about four months, he dies, as I really be- 
lieve, a convert to Christianity. And yet there 
are thousands in this christian land who never 
give this all-important matter a prayerful con- 
sideration. Oh what gratitude we ought to feel 
that we have been favored with the gospel. 

I believe there are to-day in west Africa thou- 
sands like Ta Ta Nambulee who have beard 
through traders and travelers something about 
the great mission work and the one true God, 
who are anxious to hear more, who are not sat- 



A DYING KING. 53 

isfied in their condition, who want to know, but 
have no way to know, their souls craving some- 
thing to rest upon, something stronger, better 
and firmer than idols of wood and stone. In 
this condition they toil on from year to year like 
the beas in the cage, ever walking up and down, 
trying to escape, but never able to succeed. 
How can they hear without a preacher ? 

Come o'er and help us, is their cry, 

Come now, oh do not pass us by. 

We are seeking truth, we are seeking light, 

We seek deliverance from dark night. 

Can you who have the gospel fail 

To hear our cry, our doleful wail? 

1 believe God is now preparing the hearts of 
the people to receive the truth. Let us send it 
to them. 

The attention the people gave to the preached 
word Sabbath after Sabbath was very encourag- 
ing. The men and boys always attend in the 
morning, the women in the afternoon. One Sab- 
bath afternoon it was found that some of the wo- 
men had gone to their farms to work. The 
young king at once left the meeting, called a 
meeting of his brothers and the head men, passed 
a law that "if any man or woman worked on 
the Sabbath they should pay a cow. If they 
had no cow their house should be pulled down 
over their heads." 

In Bakundu, as in all the towns along the 
route, 



54 . A DYING KING. 

THE CHILDREN ARE ALL NAKED. 

Men and women have a cloth around their 
waists. The men generally dress more than the 
women. As soon as they became more acquaint- 
ed with us they wanted us to give them clothing. 
Tobacco and cloth is the only currency used in 
the interior. 

Some of the people on the Mungo river raise 
corn and sweet potatoes. The staple food of the 
country is plantain. This you can stew, bake, 
fry or roast. It is a very good substitute for 
bread. The yam and cocoa are plentiful, the 
latter very much like potatoes when cooked. 
These they raise on their farms. They have 
fowls, goats, sheep and cattle all through the 
country. The sheep have hair like goats. The 
Bakundu people are not a savage people, or not 
as cruel as their neighbors and other tribes. 
You never hear of any murdering among them 
as you do among other tribes. They are very 
kind-hearted, and in every way differ much from" 
the surrounding and coast tribes. Many of the 
west African tribes are continually at war. You 
hear of their 

DRINKING THE BLOOD AND EATING THE HEARTS 

of their enemies ; of walls covered with human 
skulls; of a pavement made of human skulls, to 
walk on ; of human sacrifice. To this we have 
already referred. Truly, "The dark places of 
the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." 



A DYING KING. 55 

Some tribes pay homage to lakes, rivers and 
mountains, believing that their gods live there. 
In some places large houses are kept for ser- 
pents. To these miserable reptiles they pay 
homage. At Dix Cove, on the west coast, it is 
said they have a crocodile which they worship. 
At Duketown, on the old Calabar river, in 1859 
human flesh was sold at market as we sell beef 
in our markets here at home. I saw nothing of 
this at Bakundu. 

These people have queer superstitions, and 
one must be among them to realize what slaves 
they are to them. When it rains they beat 
their drums to make it stop. There is a bird 
which makes a noise at night something like an 
owl. This is called a witch bird. When it is 
heard the children are afraid to go out, and guns 
are fired to frighten it away. In passing their 
farms you often see a stick stuck into the ground, 
split at the top, with a piece of cloth or wood 
put crosswise in it. I was told that this was to 
keep off thieves. One night a man came to 
me to get medicine for his child, and soon after 
he left the house he cried out in the most piti- 
ful manner, " Witch come to take my child." 

During the rainy season food generally be- 
comes scarce, the elephants destroy the plantain 
farms, and the continual heavy rains keep them 
from hunting. One day I heard the natives 
shouting and singing near our house while it 



56 A DYING KING. 

was raining very hard. I looked out and saw a 
crowd of men at the gate putting up palm 
branches over the gate, and burying something 
under the gateway. I was told that the palm 
branches were to keep away famine, and that 
what was buried was to draw game near the 
town. It was indeed remarkable to see the 
earnestness and the excitement of these people 
while they were going through this performance. 
After seing us light a match, the news was soon 
spread through the country that we could carry 
fire in our pockets, and take it out and make it 
burn when we wanted to. One day r some ten 
or twelve men and boys came to see us light a 
match. When I took the box out of my pocket, 
they ran as though I had taken out a pistol to 
shoot them. " That's it, that's it," cried the 
knowing ones, and their consternation seemed 
to have no bounds. 

These people have their Ju Ju Houses or 
Fetish Temples like the rest of the tribes ; there 
are three in Bakundu. Here they have their 
secret meetings. What they do, and how, I 
could never find out, but this I do know, that 
the preaching of the gospel and the untiring zeal 
of Mr. Richardson, fighting against error, has 
been the means of many of the young men 
losing faith in Ju Ju. Before I left Bakundu, 
Mr. Richardson had commenced to hold divine 
services in the Ju Ju Temples. 



A DYING KING. 57 

THEY BELIEVE IN A SUPEEME BEING. 

They believe that there is a great being who 
has great power, but make no connection be- 
tween Him and themselves, neither expect any- 
thing from Him; neither do they attribute to 
Him any qualities, good or bad. Their gods 
were many. The name of their general pro- 
fession is "Ekodde;" when they are performing 
some custom they will tell you they are "doing 
Ekodde." Certain medicines have certain 
names, and certain powers attributed to them. 
They will take a certain medicine and use it, 
then ask the Ekodde God, or power governing 
that medicine, to give it power. They have a 
wooden man in their Ju Ju temple called "Mos- 
ango," upon which they take oath, believing 
that any person who puts his hand on the head 
of this image, who has told a lie or done wrong, 
will be exposed. 

I was told by a native Christian that men 
often hold out until they get to the Ju Ju house, 
but so great is their fear of "Mosango" that 
they will confess before putting their hand on 
his head. They used to think that after death 
they would roam about in some unseen form, 
often troubling those who possessed the property 
they left behind. 

Eev. Mr. Wilson, a native missionary, told 
me that the lives of many of the Bakwille peo- 
ple were miserable all the time, nothing but one 



58 A DYING KING. 

continual dread of the witch, what he can and 
may do at any time. I believe it to be the same 
to a great extent among the Bakundu people. 

But, thank God, the everlasting gospel is 
gradually making a great change in the people, 
even in this short time. 

I was greatly impressed with the great 

ANXIETY OF THE PEOPLE TO BE TAUGHT. 

One of their chief desires seemed to be, while I 
was there, to see their children taught how to 
read and write and to talk the English language. 
Mr. Richardson had not commenced the school 
more than two days before he had over a hun- 
dred boys. The men, among them and the young 
king, wanted me to teach them while Mr. Rich- 
ardson taught the children. 

I was much moved one Sabbath morning 
while Mr. Richardson was telling about the 
love of our blessed Jesus, a man asked if their 
children could tell them the same story out of 
the Bible, when he had taught them to read and 
talk English. 

"They love to hear the old, old story 
Of Jesus and His love." 

One Sabbath evening after service some 15 or 
20 came to our house to be more fully informed 
about the plan of salvation, and this, too, with 
out having been invited to come. It is remark 
able to see how fast the children learn. But it 



A DYING KING. 59 

will take many years to get them out of their 
superstitions. 

WHAT THEY EAT. 

In reference to their food we may say they 
eat everything, from a snake to an elephant. 
Dogs are quite a delicacy among them. One of 
the king's sons brought in a serpent one day. I 
think it must have been 16 feet long. They had 
quite a feast over it. Monkey is another favor- 
ite meat. They are great hunters ; sometimes 
they have wonderful tales to tell about the mon- 
keys and baboons. 

The Bakundu people are very clever. They 
make their own fishing and hunting nets, and 
baskets and beautiful bags out of grass. I have 
a few with me. We had not been in Bakundu 
long before we found they were anxious to have 
clothes, especially shirts. We would buy meat 
of them with shirts. Soon quite a number of 
them, especially the head men, had shirts. One 
Sabbath morning, just before service, a man 
came in with his shirt folded under his arm. 
Just as service was about to begin, he put it on. 

It was, indeed, extraordinary to me to see the 
attention these people gave when telling them 
the good news. A woman came to Mr. Rich- 
ardson one day, and said : " I have never 
stopped praying since you first told us what the 
Bible said." This was several months after his 
talk with her. 



IN MEMORIAM. 



About the first of March, 1879, my dear, 
faithful, good, loving, christian wife (after nurs- 
ing me until I got better,) was taken down with 
the fever. We hardly thought she would live ; 
but she got better. From that time until her 
death, she was never well. About six weeks 
before her death, she became so much better 
that we all thought she would soon be well ; but 
she insisted that she would noo live long. 

During the months of May and June, we were 
building our new house. I would often say how 
much better we would be in the new house, and 
what we would do. She would say : ' ' Yes ; 
that's if I live to see it." After the rainy sea- 
son set in, I said we must be careful about our 
provisions (we had to send to England for our 
provisions), as it will be a long time before we 
can get any more. "Yes," said my dear wife ; 
u but I am going to enjoy these that are here. 

I WILL NOT BE HERE LONG/." 

Her Bible was her daily study. Mr. Spur- 
geon's sermons, which were sent out monthly, 
by Mr. Wigney, from London, she would read 
and reread. Day after day, from morning till 
night, and from week to week, she would find 
no greater comfort than reading her Bible. 

On Sunday morning, June 29th, I lay in bed, 
ill. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson had gone to hold 
services in the town. She sat down near the bed 



IN MEMORIAM. 61 

and commenced to talk over our married life of 
fifteen years and seven months. The following 
Friday, July the 4th, she was taten down with 
the fever. The following Monday she slept 
nearly all day. At night she said : "All of this 
day has been lost ; I have not read my Bible 
any." I read for her. 

Monday night she was delirious nearly all 
night. Soon in the morning she said : "Al- 
though my mind leaves me at times, I have not 
lost sight of that rest, that rest! " He that the 
Son makes free shall be free indeed. Her favor- 
ite text was (and she often repeated it) : 

"I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." — 
Psalm 17 : 15. 

About noon she lost her speech. In this state 
she ]ay until 8 o'clock Wednesday evening, July 
9 th, when 

MY BLESSED JESUS CALLED HER HOME 

from the land of our fathers to "that rest," 
there to be crowned. The house was soon filled 
with the natives, who showed great sympathy. 
Late in the night Mr. Richardson told them they 
could go home (king, queen and head men were 
all present). They said : " No. This is a be- 
reavement in which we are all concerned. It is 
our grief as well as yours." Thus they remained 
all night. Though she could not speak but a 
few words of the language, she was indeed dear- 
ly beloved by the men, women and children of 
Bakundu. They all called her "mamma." 



RETURNING HOME. 



From the time I arrived at Bakundu to the 
death of my wife, I had never been well; from 
this time I commenced to get worse. In No- 
vember Rev. Mr. "Wilson, native missionary, 
came up from the coast to accompany me to 
Yictoria. I was so ill and weak that I had to 
be carried 80 miles in a hammock by the natives. 

Soon I returned to England, where medical 
men advised my return to America, on account 
of my health. Rev. C. H. Richardson was ap- 
pointed by the Baptist Missionary Society of 
Great Britain to take my place, where he is now 
laboring successfully. He has long since been 
without an interpreter, and 

PREACHES TO THE PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. 

He and his dear wife are 80 miles into the in- 
terior, with no assistance of native Christians 
from the coast. While he is laboring at this 
new station, there are also many of God's mes- 
sengers at new stations on the West Coast and 
in Central Africa, who need our prayeis and 
help. Pray for them. A great work is going 
on in that benighted land. We in this land of 
light must do all we can to send more help. 

A few years ago the great interior was closed 
to the Christian world and enveloped in mys- 
tery. But, thank God, the great work of ex- 
plorers has opened a door to the interior. Mr. 
Stanley, in following up the great work com- 
menced by Dr. Livingstone, has pointed out to 
the Christian world that vast tract of land lying 
between the West Coast and the Lake Moun- 
tains — a district of 860,000 square miles. 

u Once above the falls," says Mr. Stanley, 
14 We have the half of Africa before us, with one 



RETURNING HOME. 63 

vast populous plain teeming with life and thickly 
inhabited. In fact, I know of no place in Afri- 
ca, after Ugogo, so thickly populated." Thank 
God, since these discoveries a great work has 
commenced in Central Africa, and the name of 
my blessed Jesus is being published among 
thousands who for years have sat in darkness. 

Stations have been opened and are working 
with great success at Lake Nyassa, Ujiji, Ugan- 
da, San Salvador, and on the Great Congo or 
Living Stone River. And yet we hear the cry : 
u Come over and help us." Millions are yet 
without the Gospel. The last words of our 
blessed Jesus were : " Go ye into all the world 
and preach the Gospel to every creature. He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; 
but he that believeth not shall be damned." — 
Mark 16:15-16. /'Whosoever shall call upon 
the name of the Lord shall be saved." — Rom. 
10 : 13. In the great commission our blessed 
Jesus says he that believeth and is baptized shall 
be saved. Paul says, Rom. 10:14: u How 
shall they believe in Him of whom they have 
not heard ? And how shall they hear without 
a preacher?" Oh, my dear friend, "Give a 
thought to Africa." It has indeed been well 
said that Africa is the most profoundly interest- 
ing of missionary lands, because it is God's 
greatest providential mystery. Great in its an- 
tiquity, great in its colossal wickedness, great in 
its hideous wrongs, great in its tremendous dif- 
ficulties as a mission field, great in its costly mis- 
sionary sacrifices, great in its future possibilities 
for Christ and the world." Let us undertake 
great things for Africa, with all of our hearts 
and souls, and we shall have a great blessing. 



64 POETRY. 

"AFRICA FOR JESUS." 

Africa for Jesus 

Is the burden of my song ; 
But methinks it draweth near, 

And shall not tarry long. 

Africa for Jesus, 

For nothing else will do ; 
No other power can save 

From their wretchedness and woe. 

Africa for Jesus, 

Shout the words along, 
Till the christians everywhere, 

Echo the gladsome song. 

Africa for Jesus, 

Till they work with might and main, 
To win fresh victories for His cross, 

New trophies for Him gain. 

Africa for Jesus, 

Till all her chiefs shall own 

The right of Him o'er them to reign, 
Who sits on heaven's throne. 

Africa for Jesus, 

Till each battle ax and spear 

Be of the past, no more to make 
Each other dread and fear. 

Africa for Jesus, 

That her cannibal sons, too, 

May be taught to see the wickedness 
Of the dreadful things they do. 

Africa for Jesus, 

For Satan doth oppose, 
And in that land he raiseth 

Many, many foes. 

Africa for Jesus. 

Yes, he shall surely win, 
He is the Lord, the conqueror 
O'er every woe and sin. 
Written for Thomas L. Johnson, by Mrs. E. Shrewsbury, Northampton, 
England. 



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